Telescoping brows



8 1957 A. M. WELLENS 2,803,341

TELESCOPING BROWS Filed Nov. 8, 1950 /3 INVENTOR.

Alexander M We/Iens El /g6 Attorneys nited States Patent Ofitice 2,8935Patented Aug. 27, 1957 TELESCOPING BROWS Alexander M. Wellens, Seattle,Wash.

Application November 8, 1950, Serial No. 194,699

Claims. (Cl. 14-71) (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952), see.266) This invention relates to a gangplank which is adapted toaccommodate itself to changes in the level of a vessel relative to thatof a dock. Such changes may be due to action of the tides or to theloading of the vessel.

Gangplanks commonly in use are hazardous to persons using them at eitherhigh tide or low tide because at these tidal conditions the gangplank isinclined at either a very large or very small angle with the horizontaland the gangplank steps are unlevel and unsafe. Also, the gangplank atlow tide, if fastened at its upper end to a ship, extends over a largeportion of the dock and interferes with dock operations in the vicinityof the gangplank. At high tide the end of the gangplank, if fastened atits lower end to the dock, projects above the level of the deck of theship to an excessive extent and elevating means are required for liftingpersons or cargo from the deck to the gangplank.

The invention has as one of its principal objects the provision of agangplank that automatically adjusts itself to changes in the tides andvarious other conditions that affect the level of a floating vessel.

Additional objects will appear in the description to follow.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of the gangplank of my inventionshowing particularly the means for attaching the gangplank to a bullrail on the one end and a barge on the other end;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of an end of the gangplank shownattached to the coaming of a vessel by means of the ship mount of myinvention, a view of which is shown partly in cross-section;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of an end of the gangplank taken along the line3-3 in Fig. 1 and showing a view of the bull rail mount of my inventionattached to a section of a bull rail;

Fig. 4 is an elevational view of an end of the gangplank taken along theline 4--4 in Fig. 1 and showing a crosssectional view of the barge mountof my invention; and

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the gangplank taken along the line5-5 in Fig. 1 and showing the division of the gangplank into a stepportion and a brow portion, and also showing the arrangement of guideand thrust rollers.

As previously indicated, the automatically adjusting gangplank of thepresent invention is constructed to accommodate itself automatically tochanges in the level of a vessel relative to that of a dock due tochanges in tidal conditions or loading of the vessel. This feature ofthe invention is achieved by the use of an extensible-contractiblegangplank having at least two sections. The movement of one sectionrelative to another is facilitated by the use of guide rollers andthrust rollers interposed between them. One end of the gangplank ismounted on a vessel and the other end on a dock by mounting meanspreferably constructed to allow motion of the main body of the gangplankboth about vertical axes fixed relative to the dock and vessel,respectively, and about horizontal axes fixed relative to the dock andvessel, respectively. By dock is meant any dock in the ordinary sense orpier or wharf or the like.

Prior art gangplanks are known which are extensible and contractiblesuch as that shown in U. S. Patent No.

2,448,335 but such prior art gangplanks usually have not been securelyanchored both at the vessel end and the dock end simultaneously and havethus suffered from the disadvantages of requiring constant attention toaccommodate them to tidal changes.

Reference is made to the drawing where there is shown a specificembodiment of the invention. As is apparent from Fig. l the gangplank ismade up in sections 10 and 11, each provided with brackets 12 and 13 onwhich are carried guide rollers 14 and thrust rollers 15. As best shownin Fig. 5 the tread surface of the gangplank sections is preferablydivided longitudinally into a step portion 29 and a brow portion 21. Thestep portion is adapted for safer use of the gangplank when thegangplank is inclined at a relatively steep angle, whereas the browportion is adapted for convenient use when the gangplank is inclined ata relatively slight angle. For convenience and strength in construction,steps 22 run the full width of the gangplank, the brow portion 2.3cccupying approximately half the width of the steps' with a satisfactorytread material such as wood or heavy gauge wire screen preferablycrossed at regular intervals by ribs or cleats 24 to provide surefooting. Railings 25 are preferably made of standard piping mounted insockets 26 attached to the gangplank sections as best shown in Figs. 1and 5. The railings are shaped, as shown in Fig. l, to afford aconvenient and safe means of support for persons using the gangplankunder different tidal and weather conditions and the railings on the twomain sections of the gangplank overlap sufficiently that even at fullextension the entire length of the gangplank is guarded. Hooks 27, Figs.1 and 2, are provided for convenience in lifting the gangplank by meansof chains or crane hoist hooks.

In actual use on a barge, for example, as shown in Fig. 1, one end ofthe gangplank is articulatedly attached to the bull rail 29 of a dock 31by means of a dock mount generally indicated at 33. The dock mount 33includes an angle iron section or bull rail clamp piece 35 firmly heldagainst the bull rail by chains 37 or the like adapted to be pulledtight against the bull rail and hooked into place on books 39. A swiveltread plate 41 is rotatably pinned by pin 43 to clamp piece 35 and isguided in its swivel motion by pin and slot connection 45-47, Fig. 3.The main body of the gangplank is hinged to swivel plate 41 bydetachable hinge pins 49 passing through corresponding aligned openingsin pad eyes 51 and lugs 53 extending from the swivel plate 41 and thegangplank proper, respectively.

The other end of the gangplank is shown in Fig. 1 articulatedly attachedto a deck 55 of a barge or the like by means of a barge mount generallydesignated 57. The barge mount may be of any construction adequate topermit sufiicient articulation for the use of the invention and is shownas conveniently made of a Wooden base member 59 surmounted by a metalframe 61. This frame is provided with eyes 63 by which the'm'ount can befirmly anchored to the deck 55 with the aid of detachable links 65 andconveniently placed pad eyes 67 attached to the vessel. The amountfurther includes an eye bolt 69 arranged by means of nuts 71, washer 73and a spherically shaped socket 75 to permit relative swivel motionabout a generally vertical axis between the eye bolt and the deck 55with base 59 fixed thereto. The eye bolt is adapted to be hinged to themain body of the gangplank by means of detachable pin 77 passing throughaligned openings in lugs 79 extending from the upper section of thegangplank. This connection permits relative motion between the gangplankand the barge about a normally generally horizontal axis.

When using'the gangplank between a ship and a dock the barge mount 57 isdisconnected from the main body ofthe gangplank by simply removingthePh.7 91. replaced by a means for attaching the gangplank to a shipdesignated generally as a ship mount 81 in Fig. 2. Thk hip m unt .81oanbe constructed inany manner fiql fi t permit of ,not relativedisplacement between but only ,articulationbetween, the vgangplankproperand the vessel. Ihi s articulationpreferably. involves relative motionbetween the gangplank proper ;and.- the.,-vessel about both agenerallyr,horizontalwaxis,and a generally yercal axis 1 Conveniently,,as shownin Fig. 2,,- the ship mount; can be .blliltupfromschannelsections, plate, and, the like, It preferably, includeshook-like portions 83 adaptedto hangsecurely ,on the coaming 85 of the19. 11: .portions 83, can be implemented .with ps (notshown);ifanecessarytq insure firm engage: With.;the .coaming. The ship,mount, further ina hook-shaped swivelneye bolt member 87 provided-,atlone endwith nuts 89,,washer 91, and spherical bearing 101, alllto.'facilitateswiveling, and at its other end with; an eye portion adaptedto receive the detachable pin; 77 which now-again passes through theopenings in lugs to hinge together the gangplank proper and the amo nttH I L IQfQClliifiifl-ihfi use of a gangplank inparallel-to-shipposition, instead of in a position extending-directlytransversely oifthe; side ,.,some ships are provided with turntable, platformsprojecting out, beyond the side of. the vessel similarto that shown inthe, aforementioned Patent lflo, 2,448,335. For use ith shipshaving sucha turn: table platform the-ship mount ofthis. invention is .pro- Yidedwith ,eyes 105 t hingethe mount to such a platform: In such usage the.gangplank -would be swung so that the swivel, tread plate 4lywouldassume a position approximatelyr 90f from; that shown in Figs. v1 and .3so that the pin 45,-would be near one end of the slot 47 and ,,the-;long dimensionof the plate 41 would extend transverse to the bull railinstead of parallel thereto as best shown in Fig. For. safety, toincreasethe tread area -of.the tread; plate adjacent the docksurface thehinged extension plate 107 .isprovided which, in. this configuration,i,slifted to a horizontalposition as shown in phantomline in Figs. l and 3.When the gangplank is.;.s wung through 90",, counterclockwise, .forexample, from; the position shown in-Fig..,3, vthe extension plate107,-,then rests oni-the bull rail and while ofiering additionalstepping surface also provides apossibly dangerousunguarded-regionadjacent the water side of .the. bull rail .To. guard.,-this region one, of the removable wU- shaped rail .se.ctions,109 isremoved from the sockets 111 where-it, is normally held :by;frictionpinsorcotter pins. {not shown, .but attached by. smallichains to :thestanchions to prevent loss) and inserted in sockets 115 in the.extension plate,107. ,Thepossibly dangerous open area:;between thenewly-placed rail section 109.as shown in. phantom;'line.in Figs; 1 and3. and the remaining .U-shaped -rail section 117 is spanned by arope orthe like 119, also shown in phantom in these figures.

v e i n,

In use, Withitsi oneend articulatedly attached. to a dock ,andits otherend similarly attached. toa vessel thegangplank extendsorcontracts bythe mere rolling of one section along the other with concomitantrotation about the generally horizontal; axes of the articulated jointsto accommodate for differences in level of the ,vessel .and dock. Thisaccommodation of the gangplank is automatic and requiresno attentionsince neither end can be displacedrelative to the body to. which it isattached, The rate at which theldifference in level between a vessel anda dock isnormally sov slow that no .difficulty; is experienced bypersonnelstepping from one section of the gangplank to theoverlappingsection since during such a smallinterval of time noappreciable extensionor contraction of the gangplank will occur.

Although the aforedescribed specific embodiment illustrees arrs erteterm girth? in e ti n. it be parent that other embodiments can be madewithin the teaching of the invention. For example, gangplanks can bemade using more than two overlapping sections. In such cases, of course,the remote ends of the extreme sections are attachedto the dock andvessel respectively, while the intermediate sections extend sufficientlyto enable the gangplank as a whole to span the required distance.Alternative mounting means can be used for attaching the ends of thegangplankto the dock and the vessel. For example, either or both of suchmeans can be. replaced by mounts which would provide for rotation of theends of the gangplank relative to the bodies to .which they are attachedabout normally horizontal axes only, instead of about both horizontaland vertical axes......,

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the presentinventionlarepossiblein thelight of the above teachings. It isthereforezto-be understood that within the. scope .ofthe: appendedclaims the invention can be practicedotherwise than .as specificallydescribed. Theinvention describedhereinmay be manufactured and.usedbyorfortheGovernment of the United States of- America. forgovernmentalpurposes without the payment of any royalties thereon or therefor.

What is claimed'is; i ,v 1.. Atdeviceofthe character describedcomprising an extensible gangplank, means for articulatedly connectingone end of said gangplank .to a vesselmeans for articulatedly connectingthe other end of said gangplank to a dock, and means for preventingtranslational motion of said other endrelative to said dock. .2. Adevice of the character described comprising an extensible contractiblegangplank, means for articulatedly attaching-oneend, ofsaidgangplank toa vessel for relative motion therebetween about a normally horizontalaxis, means for articulatedly attaching the other end of said gangplank.to a dock for relative motion therebetween aboutanormally horizontalaxis, and means for preventing translational motion of said other endrelative to said dock. U .3.,In combination a dock, anextensible-contractible gangplank, a vessel, means articulatedlyattachingone end ofsaid gangplank to said dock, means articulatedlyattaching the other end of said gangplank, to said vessel, and meanspreventing translational motion of said firstmentioned, end of saidgangplank relative to said dock.

4,.In. combination a dock, an extensiblecontractible gangplank, avessel, means articulatedly attaching one end. ofsaid 'gang'plankto saiddock for motion therebetween about both anormally, horizontal axis and anormally verticali axis, means preventing translational motion.Ofsaidendofsaid gangplankrelative tosaid dock, and mean'sfarticulatedlyattaching the other end of said gangplank to a. vessel for, motiontherebetween about both a normallyhorizontalaxis anda normally verticalaxis.

'5..A .deviceof the character, described comprising anextensible-,contractible gangplank, means for, articulatedly attaching;one endsof said gangplank to a dockand for preventingtranslationaldisplacement of said end relative to said dock, and, means forarticulatedly attaching theother endiof, said gangplank to a vessel andfor preventingtranslational displacement of said other end relative tosaid vessel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNr rED STATES PATENTS229,528 ,Eisher July 6, 1880 290,348 Olsen 1 D ec. 18, 18 83 579,813Wylie Mar. 30, 1897 2,448,335 Wallace Aug. 31, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS26,427 Great Britain 19 06

